The Middle East cannot afford another migration crisis.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is actively mobilizing resources to support the influx of people from Lebanon into Syria following escalating tensions in the Middle East.

People fleeing Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. (Source: UNHCR)

According to Ambrose Chiu, senior UNHCR official in Syria, the agency is working with local Red Crescent Societies to provide assistance to Lebanese refugees and returning Syrians.

UNHCR noted congestion at the Jdeidat Yabous border crossing with a large number of vehicles and people arriving there.

More than 52,000 Lebanese citizens have fled to Syria since Israel escalated its military moves.

The Syrian government is committed to providing comprehensive support and facilitating entry for families arriving here.

Syria and Lebanon share a border of about 375 km, with the Jdeidat Yabous border crossing being the main point of entry.

The fighting is having dire consequences, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

"The Middle East cannot afford another migration crisis. Protecting civilian lives must be the top priority," Mr. Grandi stressed.

UNHCR and the Syrian Red Crescent are present at border crossings to provide food, water, blankets and mattresses to the influx of people.

The humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire. The 2023 earthquake and the ongoing conflict have destroyed much of the country’s vital infrastructure, leaving millions of people in dire straits.

According to Lebanese officials, recent clashes have left 558 people dead and 1,835 injured.

UNHCR is working closely with the authorities and other humanitarian organizations to provide assistance, shelter, health care and psychosocial support to displaced people.

Lebanon is currently home to about 1.5 million Syrian refugees and more than 11,000 refugees from other countries.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/cao-uy-lien-hop-quoc-ve-nguoi-ti-nan-trung-dong-khong-the-chiu-them-mot-cuoc-khung-hoang-di-cu-moi-288309.html